Tkachuk OTT SSF

With the NHL pausing the 2019-20 regular season on March 12 due to the concerns surrounding the coronavirus, NHL.com is taking stock of each of the League's 31 teams.
Today, the award-worthy candidates for the Ottawa Senators at the pause:

The Ottawa Senators entered the season with a new coach, a youthful lineup and tempered expectations.
Although it's unlikely they'll qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there are plenty who have stood out for the Senators during this rebuilding season.
To showcase the top performances this season, here are their top players in various categories:

MVP

In his second NHL season, forward Brady Tkachuk has proved his performance as a rookie wasn't a fluke. The No. 4 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Tkachuk leads the Senators in points (44), one shy of his rookie total, and has scored 21 goals, one fewer than in 2018-19. The 20-year-old, who has had his ice time per game increase from 16:01 as a rookie to 18:56 this season, has embraced a more physical role; he leads Ottawa with 106 penalty minutes and ranks second in the NHL with 303 hits, behind Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves (316).

NYI@OTT: Tkachuk roofs unassisted transition goal

Rookie

The Senators have played 10 rookies, but none has been as impactful as goalie Marcus Hogberg. The 25-year-old is 5-8-8 with a 3.12 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 24 games (21 starts), solid for a team with defensive issues. Hogberg has the best GAA among the three Senators goalies (Anders Nilsson, 3.18; Craig Anderson, .3.25) and is not far behind Nilsson for best save percentage (.908).

ARI@OTT: Hogberg shuts down Schmaltz in front

Defenseman

Thomas Chabot has been the steadying presence on defense for the Senators again this season. After he had 55 points (14 goals, 41 assists) in 2018-19, Chabot has 39 this season (six goals, 33 assists). He has not missed a game for the Senators and leads the NHL in ice time per game (26:00), almost four minutes more than his next-closest teammate (defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, 22:09).

OTT@NSH: Chabot strikes first for Senators

Defensive forward

Chris Tierney ranks second among Senators forwards in shorthanded ice time (164:58), trailing only Connor Brown (185:07), and is tied for the Ottawa lead in shorthanded goals with four (Vladislav Namestnikov, who was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 24, also had four). Tierney has won 51.2 percent of face-offs, including 52.9 percent in the defensive zone. He also ranks third among Senators forwards in takeaways (32) and sixth in blocked shots (37).

Comeback player

Bobby Ryan missed 43 games this season after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in November. In his first home game after returning, he had a hat trick in a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Feb 27. Ryan has four goals in eight games since coming back; he had one goal and four points in 16 games prior.